Local food is trendy these days – but will it last? This webinar provides an overview of the strong and steady growth in demand for locally produced foods across the U.S. and a big-picture look at the many value chains that make up local and regional food systems and how local governments can support them.

Local governments have an increasingly valuable role to play in establishing supportive environments in which farms and food businesses can flourish. This webinar will provide examples from North Carolina on ways local governments can get involved with local and regional food economies, from planning and land use to economic and business development. Agriculture’s place in the rural-urban dialogue and as a centerpiece of resiliency for local economies will be discussed, along with the diversification, new business models, and tech innovations that are fueling the food system’s reinvention. NCGT will provide specific models for other states and counties, including easy-to-use tools and resources that can be adapted for use across the country.

Presenter Bio

Emily Edmonds currently serves as the Extension & Outreach Program Manager for the NC Growing Together Project at NC State University’s Center for Environmental Farming Systems. A former small business owner and Western North Carolina native, she holds an MPA from UNC-Chapel Hill and has worked in local and regional food systems, land conservation, and economic development through a variety of projects across the East Coast. More information about her work in local government and food systems is available on LinkedIn and at www.workforgoodnc.com. She is a diehard Green Bay Packers fan and enjoys reading, gardening, hiking, and cooking.

Project Summary

NC Growing Together, a project of the Center for Environmental Farming Systems (NC State University, NC A&T University, and the NC Department of Agriculture) works with partners across the state to help locally-produced North Carolina foods to enter more wholesale markets, strengthening the economics of small to mid-size farm and fishing operations and their communities. We work on the supply side, connecting producers to buyers, and on the demand side, eliminating barriers that traditionally prevented larger buyers from working with smaller farms and producers. NCGT is funded through a National Institute for Agriculture (NIFA) grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture. More information is available atwww.ncgrowingtogether.org.